September is here, Labor Day has come and gone, school is back in session and the boys soccer team kicks off the fall sports season Tuesday afternoon at home against Saint John Paul II at 3 p.m.

The opening contest against the Lions should be a good one as both teams are coming off playoff appearances last season. The Vineyarders finished 8-7-3 to make the Division 3 tournament but ran into a tough East Bridgewater team and a couple of unlucky bounces led to a first-round exit.

Girls soccer gets ready during hell week. — Ray Ewing

After the season opener, the boys have three successive home games against Dennis-Yarmouth, Cohasset and Cardinal Spellman.

The golf team is also opening their season Tuesday, leaving the first day of school early to take on Monomoy at Cranberry Valley in Harwich. The Sharks of Monomoy will be the first test for the Vineyarders as they are set to play three of the top teams in the Cape and Islands League in their first four matches. On Thursday, the Vineyarders begin a string of three home matches at Farm Neck. First up is Barnstable, then Bishop Stang and finally Nauset.

The girls soccer team will takes on Saint John Paul II to start the season. They will be on the road, though, traveling to the Cape Friday to play the Lions and then again on Saturday to play Dennis-Yarmouth.

On the field hockey pitch. — Ray Ewing

Last year the girls finished the season at 12-6-2 and won their first playoff matchup against Greater New Bedford RVT. In the second round, they faced Norwell, one of the top teams in the state, and played them tough until their opponents eventually broke the stalemate in the second half for the win.

The Vineyarders lost a talented group of seniors who were leaders on last year’s squad and so will look to the next generation to step up. Their first home game comes on Monday against Whitinsville Christian at 3 p.m.

The field hockey team will start the season at home against Falmouth on Wednesday at 3 p.m. Kaitlyn Benoit is the new skipper at the helm for the girls this year. She inherited a growing team whose record last year did not tell the whole story as they were consistently on the losing end of single-score affairs.

Cross country teams looks to continue its winning ways. — Ray Ewing

The Clippers will be a tall task on opening day but if the Vineyarders hold their own they should continue to improve and tally some wins this season.

The cross country team starts their season Saturday as they welcome Rising Tide, Whitinsville Christian and Foxborough to the Island for a race through the state forest. After a decorated track season saw several Vineyarders travel to Eugene, Oregon for post-season competition, the Island’s runners will look to keep that momentum going as they transition from track to trails in the fall.

Finally, the football team begins their season at home on Saturday as they face off against Bishop Brady High School of Concord, N.H. at 3 p.m.

The Vineyarders come into the season with high expectations after just missing out on the playoffs last year despite winning the lighthouse division of the Cape and Islands League. After an Island Cup win for the ages and a thorough thumping Falmouth the following week, the Vineyarders will look to start strong against an unfamiliar foe who made it to New Hampshire’s division four semifinals last year.